Heat Stronger Than Fire
by Master of the Hellish Yard
Summary: When a fire mage gets hot, you know it's hot. When a fire dragonslayer can't stand the heat, the rest of the world has probably melted. Natsu, slight GrayxNatsu/NatsuxGray/Graysu/Natgray.
1. The Burning Forest: Part 1

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail isn't mine, hence the reason Lisanna returned. *Growls*

**xxxxxxxx**

Natsu was hot. Too hot. Even for a fire mage, and a dragonslayer at that, he was sweating and his skin was burning. It was clear he was badly ill, but there was nobody around that could help him.

Recently, Natsu had set off on a solitary mission as Happy had left with the rest of he usual team for some other job. The job wasn't a tough one – Natsu had only taken one to occupy his time while the others were gone – but sometime in between finishing the mission and leaving the town, Natsu had fallen sick. How, he had no clue. Nothing had done anything to him that he could tell, although with such a high fever, it was a wonder he could think at all. Each step Natsu took, his head pounded. He needed to rest after going only a few meters, and the heat of his body was becoming unbearable. Whatever had happened to him, it was highly plausible it would kill him, and with his current situation, it was sure to be a slow and painful death.

Groaning as he once again got up to take a few more steps, Natsu suddenly felt such a pain in his legs and his head went so light that he fell to his knees. Realizing he wouldn't be able to move for much longer, the fire mage set out to find a river he could take water from as he wasted away.

The river was in reality only about 15 or 20 feet away from where the fire mage had fallen, and for anybody that would normally be only a few steps. Because of Natsu's current condition, however, making it even that short distance was a long and painful movement.

When he reached the water, Natsu literally felt his body go limp. The throbbing of his head and legs, the excruciating heat that was everywhere, all of it had become too much. His body could no longer stand to move or even support him after being stressed so far. Accepting the facts presented before him, Natsu murmured something indistinguishable as the world around him went black.

**xxxxxxxxx**

When he finally awoke, Natsu had no clue as to how long he had been out. The sun was very near to where it had been when Natsu went unconscious. The shadows of the trees and surrounding greenery were also still in the same place. _'Obviously.' _Natsu added with a grunt to himself. The only difference was how parched his throat felt. His head was still pounding, his legs still ached, and his body was still extremely hot. Moving to a sitting position, Natsu was hit with a dizzy spell that nearly pushed him back over. '_Only willpower would be able to keep me going.' _Natsu knew. Reaching a weak arm over towards the creek that was peacefully bubbling next to him, the dragonslayer felt the coolness of the water as it rushed over his hand. That coolness was short-lived, however. The tired arm brought a cupped hand over to his dry lips and parched throat, dribbling down over him chest. The body had nothing to do but comply to what was happening around it, and Natsu saw the world go blurry before once more returning to the black.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

The next time Natsu's eyes opened, he felt that he must have died and gone to hell or the land he was in was somehow cursed and the time of day never changed, as it was still bright. But once the cloudiness cleared out of his eyes, Natsu heaved a painful sigh of relief. The light wasn't coming from the sun, instead in the now-black sky hung a moon.

Knowing he must have more water, Natsu began to move, only to discover that he could no longer feel his left leg. Worriedly looking to ensure it was still there, Natsu knew that the fever was doing things to his mind and body that he couldn't control. This time, the world went black before he could even reach the water.

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Natsu's next awakening was much, much later than the others. The sky was now filled with the oranges and reds of sunset, and only then did Natsu realize he missed the morning sun.

The grass beneath Natsu had died, leaving his already horrid state in an ever worse spiral. Any plant covered with such ferocious heat and no sun for who knows how many days would clearly die, and this grass was no exception. It was hard and dry, sticking all over the boy's sweaty, feverish body. It was itchy, and yet Natsu barely had the strength to collect his thoughts and the nearby water. Last time he had woken up, the grass was still alive, although you could tell it wasn't going to be for long. The current state of the grass meant that Natsu had been out for quite a while, and his starved stomach and dehydrated throat just added to the analogy. _'Dying like this is so stupid,'_ the fire mage thought to himself. _'I don't even know how I got sick. Dying this way just means nothing.'_

As much as Natsu would have liked to at least have ensured his friends' happiness and safety with his life, he knew that there was nothing he could do about it now. His life was wasting away without any of his input.

**xxxxxxxxx**

AN: Sorry for this being so short. ^.^; The next chapter will bring us back to the guild and the rest of Natsu's team, so please keep reading!

Oh, and I haven't decided whether to kill Natsu or not yet. Please review and tell me if you think he should live, die, or if I should do both. Also if you have any ideas about how he should be found, I'm open to hear them

~Master of the Hellish Yard


	2. The Burning Forest: Part 2

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail would have a hell of a lot more darkness and despair if it was mine. And it would probably be over because everybody died….**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Back at the guild, the doors once again flew open to announce the return of Erza & co. The mission had been a success, and walking up to the bar counter to notify Mira of this was the Queen of Fairies, Titannia. Following her were Happy, Lucy and Gray respectively. After searching through the faces of those in the guild, Happy looked confused at the lack of a certain someone. Noticing this, Mirajane smiled at the little blue cat and told him that Natsu was on a mission, and would be back soon. The next one to smile at the cat was Lucy, when she heard Gray say the cat would stay with him. The second smile was of a more, not sinister, but impure nature, as the blonde had been certain the cat would stay at her house, seeing how he spent more time there than anywhere other than the guild.

After Erza finished with Mirajane, she turned towards the others. "I suggest you go home early tonight and get some rest. You're probably tired, and when Natsu is back, we'll go out again. _Somebody_" she stared at Gray and Happy, "made it so Lucy didn't get enough for her rent."

Shivering from the stare, the boys simultaneously called out "Aye, sir!" as they ran out the door. Lucy soon followed suit. After all, Erza's wrath, no matter how small, was nothing to sneeze at.

The next day, all four of the team gathered at the guild once again. Natsu should be back today, as his mission was a simple one, and Lucy's rent was due next week. When he hadn't come in by lunch, the team members started to get worried. Even though a number of things could have happened, there was a certain fear present in the team's mind.

Something had happened. Natsu wasn't going to be coming back today.

Just as Gray was about to get up, Erza turned around and asked Mira where Natsu had gone. Puzzled, but not wanting to anger the redhead, Mira answered and the group ran off towards the train station. 

When they got there, everybody was quiet. The ominous feeling had only grown as time moved forward. The train just couldn't move fast enough.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next time Natsu woke up, he tried to move for water but winced in pain. Looking down at his wasted body, he couldn't find any possible source for the pain, but as he licked his lips, he felt it. The pain had come from where they were splitting. His body needed water. He hadn't been able to drink any the last two times he had been awake, and he knew that if he didn't this time either, there would be no next time.

Reaching his arm out, Natsu discovered the stream had shrunk much since he had arrived. What was bubbly and filled before now only held a trickle of liquid. How it had happened, Natsu didn't know. Maybe from the heat he was sure he was radiating, maybe from the sun that rose and set multiple times between his awakenings. Either way, Natsu needed water. The sensation of dying from dehydration and starvation was sickening. Even worse was that the biggest factor in this dying state was from _heat_.

Heat stronger than fire.

When Natsu's arm finally reached what was left of the stream, he had used nearly all of his strength. The willpower was leaving him as he knew he had nowhere to go. His eyelids were feeling heavy. _It shouldn't matter…_ Natsu thought. _Holding out longer will still lead to the same place…. Only with even more suffering…_

Natsu once again missed the water.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

Gray was the first one off the train. He didn't want to admit it, but he got the feeling he was the most worried out of all the group. Even including Happy. That meant he was worried. Really, _really_ worried. And they were supposed to be bitter rivals. Ha! Gray was beginning to think that whoever had said 'hate truly is the closest thing to love' really knew what they were talking about.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

As unlikely as it had seemed, Natsu had managed to wake up once more. This time, however, the waking had been caused by his over-sensitive nose. _Something, _some_one,_ was nearby. The smell was familiar. But who? Who could have found him out here? Natsu's feverish mind was in no state to remember. Even so, he tried to discern the owner of the scent. It was a special smell, the smell of a loved one. But who? Natsu couldn't remember any of his loved ones any more; he had a heck of a lot of them, after all. Suddenly, Natsu's mind showed a vague image. It was from long ago, in a cave filled with fire. There was a man standing in the flames, and a dragon's soul looked to be extending from him. That's it! The scent… it had to be this man's. _He_ would know where to find Natsu; _he_ would be there to take care of him. At long last, they were to be reunited. But, why had they separated…?

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Gray was now running through the forest. His legs couldn't move fast enough to satisfy him. The ominous feeling in his mind was becoming alarmingly large, and every second wasted getting there was torturing the ice mage. Never had he felt this worried, not even with Ur. Gray shuddered. That was because he had _seen_ Ur, he couldn't see what was happening with Natsu. He didn't even know whether or not the mage was still alive. _'Damn it, Gray'_ he told himself. _'Natsu's alive. That hot-headed bastard wouldn't die _this_ easily.'_

**A/N: Yay! This chapter's longer. Please keep reading! It won't be much longer until fire and ice meet… Or at least what's left of them. What does the future hold? Please wait and find out.**

**Reviews are always welcome, and I will try my hardest tor respond to each. If you have any ideas for the story, I'm open to hear them, just keep in mind that they might not always fit in.**

**~Master of the Hellish Yard**


	3. The Burning Forest: Part 3

**A/N: I just thought I'd leave a little timeline, to help lower any possible confusions that arise from time inconsistencies (The periods with Natsu have been slightly off in comparison with the others. Maybe. I don't really now, heheh... )**

**XXX – 1 (3 weeks ago) – Team Natsu minus Natsu leave on mission**

**XXX – 2 (1 day later) – Natsu leaves on mission**

**XXX – 4 – Natsu arrives at mission town**

**XXX – 5 – Natsu begins to head home**

**XXX – 19 – Team Natsu minus Natsu arrive back at the guild, also leave to find Natsu**

**XXX – 21 – Gray-tachi set off to find Natsu**

**XXX – 22 (Current Day) – This chapter's beginning**

**Natsu's been sick for about 12-14 days, if that makes any difference. He was still fine on his mission.**

**Thank you to Audie the Gothic Alchemist and Foxy from Dattebayo Devon for helping me find some way to make Gray's trip more… eventful *evil grin* Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail probably would've disappeared by now if I owned it.**

Pushing his legs ever harder, the ice mage continued to move. By now, he was moving purely on instinct. The others were far behind. He didn't even know if they had followed him or not. He didn't care. He _had_ to save Natsu.

For once, Gray still had his clothes on. Everything, from his boxers to pants to shirt to even his white jacket. He had focused so solely on finding Natsu that even his subconscious habit was suppressed. That was a good thing too, because if Natsu was in need of something to cover him, Gray had the materials.

**xxxxxxxxxxxx**

Happy, Erza and Lucy were all surprised when Gray ran off. He didn't say a word to the other members, just jumped off the train as soon as it stopped and _ran_. They had never seen Gray like that before, and they _never_ expected Natsu to be the cause.

Released from the shock, the others set off as well. The only one that even had a clue as to what direction to go other than Gray was Happy, so the two girls followed his lead. Before leaving, however, they grabbed first aid supplies and a bunch of other things – because who knows what condition Natsu would be in by the time any of them got there.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

Gray kept running. Further and further he pushed on. He had never been in this forest before, but he _knew_ where Natsu was. The issue was that he couldn't get there. No matter how far he ran, he couldn't get any closer. It was as if something was controlling the forest.

Once that thought had run through the young ice mage's mind, he realized that it could very well be true. He wished he knew what was going on. But he also knew that it wasn't necessary. Anything in his way, he would make it move. He had to get to Natsu. And nothing, _nothing_ would stop him.

Or so he thought.

It was only a matter of moments until Gray's legs gave out from under him. Pushed to the brink and farther, stopping had given them the chance to release. He tried to get up. Tried to fight the pain and numbness. But he couldn't.

Wincing, Gray pressed against the tree. He couldn't wait for his legs to rest. He didn't have the time. _Natsu_ didn't have the time. So onward the ice mage pressed. Further and further into the endless forest. Willing the pain and any bodily thoughts from his mind, Gray kept running. As long as his mind was blank, as long as he ran only on sheer intuition, as long as he went on the way he'd swear Natsu did every day, he could keep moving. And as long as he did that, he felt he could reach the pink-headed boy.

Gray had been running nonstop for quite a few hours by now. He was completely oblivious to _everything_. Everything, that is, except Natsu. His mind was so empty that he didn't even notice when one of his legs failed to move forward. Because he didn't stop, the boy tripped. And he fell _hard._ He had been about to make a turn when his leg gave out, and as a result he had gone over the edge of the mini-cliff near him.

Once he hit the ground, the raven-haired boy immediately tried to get up and get back on his path, but a sudden, sharp pain from his leg made him fall back to the ground.

Upon closer inspection, Gray realized that with all of the running and not allowing his legs to rest along with the fall, his leg was broken. And it was broken pretty badly. There was a bit of bone sticking out the back through his pants, and Gray guessed that there were at least 3 other fractures throughout.

With a bit of his ice make magic, Gray created a brace. It allowed him to stand, and slightly subdued the pain. Running was out of the question now; he could barley take a slow walk. But he had to. Because Natsu was definitely wosre off than him.

**xxxxxxxxx**

The clearing where Natsu lay was dying. The irrepressible heat had gotten to a point where the plants could no longer stand it. There was no water left in the stream, and the grass that had only been dead underneath him was now dead all around him.

The body that was radiating the heat no longer moved. There was still a pulse, he still took breaths, but the body no longer moved. The boy was on his last reserves. Even his mind had gone blank long ago. There were no last-minute memories, there was no life flashing before his shut eyes. There was _nothing_. Absolutenothing.

If he was to survive, he had to be found _and_ taken care of before the next turn of the week. Even that would be pushing it. There was no way to tell how soon until he died. His only hope resided in the chance of a something, human or other, finding him quickly. After all, once you've given up on life, there's nobody that can do much to change that.

**xxxxxxxx**

A few hours had passed since Gray had fallen, and he had managed to get back on the path. His walk – stagger might better describe it – was quite slow, and only the knowledge of experience that going faster meant falling and falling meant he would waste more time getting up than his current pace would take to let him cross the same area kept him from speeding up. His leg was aching; each step he took made his head throb, but what hurt him the most was the fact that the ominous feeling persisted in growing as time went on. And now he didn't even have the chance of keeping up with it.

Gray winced. The ice on his leg needed to be fixed, his other leg was about to give out on him, he was dehydrated, he was exhausted, and he was damn worried about Natsu. _What has that stupid hothead gotten himself into now?_

Little did he know just how hot Natsu's head really was.

Attending to his issues, Gray began with fixing the brace on his leg. The part where the bone was sticking out was the biggest issue, but the boy found a way to hold it. To allow his other leg to rest, the boy had sat down with his back against a tree. Dehydration was fixed somewhat by popping some fresh ice into his mouth, and exhaustion, well, Gray just allowed himself rest for mind along with his legs. There wasn't anything he could do about his 5th issue.

Gray wished he could sit there and fall asleep. He wished he could wake up to find this was all a dream; that he, Natsu, and all the rest were just lazing around the guild. He wished, but since when has wishing done anything? Even if wishes _could_ be granted, the ones granting them would twist them horribly into something worse than whatever it was before. That was one thing. Gray's cynicism hadn't been affected.

In reality, Gray had rested for no more than twenty minutes before setting out again, but to him and the horrid, ominous feeling, it felt like an eternity. Of course, the feeling had continued to grow and Gray's care for his body only went so far. His care for his nakama went much further.

Getting up was a painful process. If it wasn't for the fact that Gray had no clue what was up ahead he would've just used his creation magic to make something that could get him there fast, but there was the chance his magic power was gonna be needed. And if that was the case, Gray couldn't afford to be borderline-empty upon arrival.

Staggering out once again, Gray now had quite a clear path behind him. The drag marks left a surprisingly visible imprint on the forest floor, and all Gray could hope was that it would make finding both Natsu _and_ him that much easier for his teammates. His attention couldn't waver for long, however. Pain once again shot through his injured leg, and it took nearly all the raven-haired boy had to keep from collapsing.

'_Damn. My leg is worse than I thought. What did I fall on?'_

With that question in mind, Gray pulled on. He would've made crutches, except…

The forest was not an easy place to be in when you were injured. Sick, maybe. Depending on what and how much. But injured? Not a chance.

He could only hope that Natsu wasn't hurt that badly…

**xxxxxx**

A/N: To me, it seems like Gray should black out after that last line. What about the rest of you? Any opinions? Suggestions? Please share.

Just as a note, classes resume on Monday, which means there's only tomorrow left for me to be able to work diligently on my fanfictions. Updates will be slower because of this, but I will try to do at least one chapter from at least one story a week. _I don't like working…_


	4. The Burning Forest: Part 4

A/N: Yay! I figured out how to post with real line breaks! Fanfiction never keeps the ones on my documents *growls*

Disclaimer: Natsu hasn't been severely deformed yet, so I guess I still don't own Fairy Tail.

* * *

><p>Erza was now leading the procession, with slight adjustments from the worry-stricken Happy. While the group was fairly certain Gray wouldn't go over the edge, he did seem empty-minded when he ran off. With a sigh, the scarlet-haired woman turned on to a new path.<p>

The trio had been traveling for nearly two hours now, and Happy was currently perched on Lucy's head. Sitting on Erza would have been more convenient, but… we all know Erza. The woman only turned back every now and then to make sure she hadn't lost Happy or Lucy and that they were still going the right way. She knew they needed to get to Natsu soon, because even if Gray made it first, he probably wasn't in the state of mind that would be useful.

Happy told Erza to take another turn through some trees to the right. They were making ground, but not nearly fast enough for him. He had started to shake with fear for what had happened to Natsu, and could only hope his shortcut allowed them to reach him in time.

* * *

><p>The world had gone black for a short period of time. It was cold, and lonely, and Gray could no longer feel anything. His mind was blank. That is, until a sudden flash of light brought him back to reality along with a sharp sense of pain and an even sharper sense of worry. Struggling to get back up, Gray was relieved to find the shadows around him in the position they had been before he passed out. He now knew he was pushing himself far past his limit, but he had to. If he didn't, there was a good chance the guild would never be blessed with Natsu's warm and comforting presence.<p>

Gray couldn't deny it. If Natsu was gone, he would be devastated. No matter how many times they fought, underneath all of it had been their way of showing they cared. Fire and Ice may not seem the most compatible, but once they get together they are impenetrable. That flash of light, he was sure, had to be from Natsu. Even if it wasn't on purpose, even if the boy didn't realize he had done it, Gray was certain. And he got the feeling that there wasn't much longer until Natsu would be gone.

Gray got up as quickly as possible in his condition, and moved with a speed that did not know pain. Natsu was his only goal. And there was nothing to stop him now.

It took a while for Gray to notice, but he finally felt as though he was getting closer. Even though the ominous feeling was still present, there was much less worry around him. And he was getting warmer by the moment. The black-haired mage could tell it was Natsu. Heat didn't just happen like this without magic, and heat like this would feel suppressing or daunting if it was done by anybody will ill intentions. Gray knew from experience that Natsu could do that. He also knew that Natsu was one of the few that could easily bring heat without any of those, even though he only did it when somebody was in need or the pink-haired boy himself was out.

And that thought worried Gray the most.

* * *

><p>Erza was making great time. She had already been through about half of the past in only two hours and fifteen minutes, and she had barely even broken a sweat. If it wasn't for the dire situation that brought this about, the woman would have enjoyed herself. Lucy, on the other hand, was out of breath and had long since run out of strength. Still, she continued through. They <em>would<em> find Natsu, and she was going to help.

Suddenly, the great Titania stopped. The blonde was unable to stop in time, and therefore the sound of bone on metal was heard. With a quick recovery, Lucy was back up, wondering what had occurred that made the girl stop. With a voice that was nearly inaudible, the scarlet began to speak.

"You can feel it too, can't you? It's been slowly getting hotter as we move closer. "

For a moment, Lucy just stood there, wondering how Erza had noticed. But as the Exceed said 'Aye' to the woman, Lucy found herself nodding her head as she realized it _had_ been getting warmer. It hadn't been by much, and Lucy had probably attributed it to the running. But it was definitely getting warmer as they went further into the forest. Erza sure could be amazing sometimes.

Erza began to speak again, yanking Lucy out of her thoughts in an effort to hear.

"You know what this means, don't you." She stated, more just to say it out loud than for anything else.

Happy's next 'Aye' was quite solemn, and Lucy showed a look of curiosity as she realized they knew something. Noticing this, Erza spoke up one more.

"This kind of heat is magic-induced, and usually heat made form magic like this feels suffocating and eerie. But this heat doesn't. Not many mages can do that, it takes pure intentions or really, really strong magic manipulation. Natsu is one of the mages that can, but he only does it when there's somebody that strongly needs heat, or…"

"If something bad's happened to him and his magic is trying to protect him!" Happy finished, looking more and more anxious by the second.

Lucy had never realized this. She had never seen Natsu warm somebody up by changing the climate, only by warming herself up. Erza realized this, and explained she had only seen it twice. Once when there was an accident on a mission when they were about 12, and Natsu had to keep somebody from going into shock and once when a few of them were stranded at the guild during a blizzard. Happy was the only one who had seen Natsu's power do that in another situation before. They had been out on a mission, and the train they were on got into an accident. The car he and Happy were in had been crushed by some boulders that fell from the mountain they had crashed into, and Natsu had shielded Happy. Natsu had gone comatose from it, and his power ended up releasing that way. Happy was pretty sure it was his magic trying to protect him, seeing as they had been flung into the forest in the aftermath and Happy was unable to do anything for the pink-haired boy.

Even though Lucy now understood how dire the situation may be, she couldn't help but be amazed. The number of times magic had ever behaved like that was only in the single digits, in the history of the world.

* * *

><p>The heat was becoming unbearable. Even so, the ice mage pressed on. The hotter it got, the more worried the boy became. He had never truly seen Natsu's magic protecting him like this, but from what Happy described, it wasn't this strong before. After all, while heat makes ice hot faster, Gray had gotten a pretty good understanding of his sense verses other people's sense of heat over the years. And he knew Happy hadn't meant this strong of it.<p>

His leg was hurting him again; the ice had started melting a while back. Gray had given up on trying to replenish it; it had become a waste of magic, energy, and time.

The dampness that remained on his pant leg clinging to the bone underneath wasn't helping things either. It was muggy and restricted his movements further, especially as Gray found the heat mixed with the pain bringing him borderline unconscious.

Even so, the fire mage continued on. He had to stay strong for Natsu, he had to reach him. If he didn't… Gray couldn't finish that thought. He wouldn't, seeing as he would make sure it never happened. After all, minds in that state don't understand the difference between impossibility and reality.

The heat was getting stronger now. Gray could feel it in the air, pulsing through his body. His lungs were burning from over-exertion and the air's scalding temperature. His ribs were aching too, from what the boy no longer knew.

About 20 feet away, the trees stopped. Whether it was a clearing or the end of the forest, Gray didn't know, but he knew that was where he was headed. He could feel the heat radiating from there; the air was suffocating the child of the cold. Almost as if to protect the heat source from him.

Walking a mere 5 feet forward brought the ice mage to the ground. The heat was unbearable; he could feel it scorching his insides. Its pressure had killed any remaining energy and resistance regarding his leg.

12 feet remaining. Gray had begun to drag himself forward. It was hard work, and increased the pain on his leg even more, but it was the only way he could continue forward.

7 feet until the clearing. Gray could see the trees looming higher above him, wavering from the heat of the air. His eyes were getting blurry, but he had to press forwards. He would save Natsu, no matter what happened to him.

When only 3 feet remained between himself and the end of the trees, Gray managed to hoist himself up. He didn't know what the ground would be like past them; therefore he had to be prepared. Even so, his leg gave out on him almost instantly as he stood up. Had it not been for the tree next to him, the boy would have fallen right on top of fractured limb.

Pressing hard against the trees for support, the raven-haired boy made his way further. His body would give out on him soon, the heat would make sure of that if his injuries didn't, but he had to make it. It never occurred to him that if his ice was melting when he was still fairly far from the pink-haired boy, it wouldn't stand a chance here.

At long last, the trees had ended. In front of the boy stood a clearing that looked as though it had dried up long ago. He had been so focused on finding the other boy that he hadn't noticed the state of death in this part of the forest. Looking into the clearing, however, the boy still didn't see the plants. His sight was focused on one thing, and one thing only.

And that thing was Natsu.

* * *

><p>AN: There we have it! Fire and Ice have met, and already so far done in. But the pain has only started *demonic smile and a sadistic gleam in her eyes*

How long will they survive? Why is Gray being so annoying? And if they survive this, will they survive Erza? *demonic grin and eyes again, this time with thunder in the background*

Next chapter, Erza's back and the forest arc will begin to come to a close. How will it end?


	5. The Burning Forest: Part 5

A/N: Is this an update I see? O.O

Sorry about that. Disappearing for four months, and just one measly chapter to show for it. Writer's block is such a bad excuse, but that and laziness is about all I've got. And a new chapter, to finally build on that unintentional cliffy I left.

Please enjoy, hopefully the next update won't take so long…

Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, we'd probably have the first few volumes and then death. And it would be done. So I suppose all of us are glad I don't, ne?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Heat Stronger Than Fire<strong>_

_A Fairy Tail fic_

Chapter05: The Burning Forest: Part 5

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><p>The heat was even getting to Erza by now.<p>

The trio had been traveling for borderline four hours now, and even the great Titannia's forehead had a slight sheen to it. And while that was not a good sign in most matters, it also meant that they were that much closer to Natsu.

With a nearly unnoticeable break in her stride, the redheaded warrior changed to her Flame Empress armor. Judging from the heat they were feeling now, nobody would be able to touch the boy under normal circumstances.

A short while after, Lucy motioned for the others to stop. At first, they had been reluctant, thinking it was merely because she was tired, but the blonde hadn't had that as her [main] intention.

They had just turned a bend, and upon the ground there were odd markings. The soil looked as though it had just recently been turned up, and the bushes around looked as if they had been disturbed as well. What was _really_ worrying, however, was the fact that the disturbances went to the edge of the mini-cliff, as though whatever had made them had fallen off.

And Lucy had the feeling they had been made by a human.

Warily, the three walked over towards the end. What was down below, they didn't know. Looking a bit further ahead, the tracks seemed to come back up, though. What that meant, the mages were unsure.

There was a fair sized puddle of blood on the ground at the bottom of the cliff. Although the spot where the tracks came back up did not yield any, it seemed as though further down there would be more. With that line of thought, the mages continued. The foreboding feelings they had only suppressed by the need to find their teammates.

* * *

><p>The clearing only continued to die as time went on. While a new figure had been added to the scenery, it was badly battered and looked as though it had just as little hope. It had matted, dark hair, and was sweating profusely. Its face was contorted in pain, most likely from both heat and injury. The figure had a jacket that hung loosely about its arms and one shoulder, and on the figure's legs there were bloody, tattered remains of pants. Whatever had happened prior to the figure's entrance to the clearing had most certainly not been gentle.<p>

* * *

><p>Continuing on their path, the trio noticed a somewhat steady pattern to the blood. First, there would be periods of none, then it would slowly start once again, and finally congregate into a puddle before stopping once more. The disturbances of the dirt alongside it suggested an injured limb, and it seemed disturbingly human.<p>

Not a pleasant sight to follow, the group each knew that ice could only stop blood from flowing for a short while in this heat. And they could only hope the tracks weren't those of a raven-haired ice mage.

As the three continued to pass through trees and sections of blood, they found the heat seemed to somewhat level out. Whether or not that was good was left undecided.

After another three quarters of an hour had passed, Happy noticed the trees seemed to be thinning out while the blood trail condensed. The heat had also gotten higher once more. Pointing it our to the others, he felt a shiver course through his body. Where the trees stopped, the heat almost seemed to form a barrier. As if it were protecting that inside.

As much as the trio wanted to sprint forward and end this journey, the air was so suffocating that even movement was hard. The three could not fathom what this would be like for Gray.

As they moved forward, Erza noticed the blood no longer stopped. Instead, it continued thicker than before, gathering in puddles much more often. Although she preferred to stay positive, the scarlet-haired warrior couldn't help but think. For if the blood honestly was Gray's, and the chances increased with each step she took, then he must have given up on the freezing. His ice wouldn't have been able to even gather, let alone form in this heat. The next step she took only proved her thoughts further.

For there, laying in a crumpled, unmoving heap between the last of the trees, was Gray Fullbuster.

"Gray!" The blonde cried, rushing forth with a newfound strength. But just as she reached the raven-haired boy's still form, she saw the sight ahead.

And all she could do was stare.

"Lucy?" Happy's voice rang through the clearing. Whatever had just happened wasn't normal. Hurrying forward, the cat looked up.

It took all his willpower to stay in the air.

Noting both of her friends' shocked demeanors, Erza proceeded forward with caution. Whatever they had seen had not been good, and she had the sinking feeling it had something to do with the pink-haired dragonslayer.

Walking forward with her eyes ahead, even the great Titania was stunned. The pause only lasted a moment, however, as what she saw demanded immediate action.

For the sight ahead could rival an attack of Zeref's.

The clearing had long since dried up, grass so crisp it looked fit to disintegrate. There were clear traces of a stream having been there before, but the creek bed was so cracked and dry that any geologist would have stated the water had been gone for at least the past few centuries, had it not been for the distinct markings of the water's path. Bushes and trees around the edges looked as though touching them would cause them to shatter, and the air itself was so thick with heat that the clearing wavered, almost as if it were reflected in a mirror of water.

The clearing was the semblance of desperation; with everything looking as though death had not seen it fit enough to leave it go in peace. What enhanced the thought further was the single body in the middle of it, a symbol of how even the greatest strength can never overpower the dark.

Natsu's well-toned muscles had sagged, his body so weak it had not even the strength to sink into the earth. While his tan had not faded, it now increased the feeling hopelessness the clearing provided, as though the sun had not even spared this poor child – _man_? – from its relentless beating.

Erza knew she had to get the boy away quickly. Rushing forward, she scooped the lifeless form into her arms, wincing only slightly as the heat emitted from him burned past her Flame Empress armor. Had she been in a better state of mind, the thought would have only increased her worry. In a way, it was fortunate her current mindset was too occupied with the fastest way out to notice.

* * *

><p>Adrenaline is an amazing thing. When it courses through your veins, you do not notice pain, fatigue, conditions, and, depending on what the origin of the adrenaline is, much else. Such was the case now as Erza Scarlet held the young dragonslayer in her arms, rushing through the forest without noticing anything not to do with leaving.<p>

Happy and Lucy had no chance to keep up with the redhead, occupied with lower strength and no protection against the heat. While they too had adrenaline rushing through them, it was not on as high a level as the warrior's had been, just as most other comparisons. To further the distance between, the two also had to maneuver a way through the forest with the injured Gray, for even as the center of heat moved eastwards to town, they each knew the forest would not instantly cool.

One of the largest issues the two were facing was _how_ to move the ice mage. While the only visible injury was Gray's fractured leg, that didn't mean there wasn't anything else. And even if the blonde hadn't realized that fact, the Exceed could tell. Oftentimes had he seen the boys hurt, and while still a child, the cat had come to know such things well.

While both of the boys often held in their pain, Happy had still managed to realize the differences between injured and not. Nobody was perfect, and hiding such a thing was nowhere near as simple when they were young. Even now you could still sometimes see hints of an injury, suppressed though it may be. The cat knew all this, and taking a chance on yet another of his friends was not something he was about to do.

As the shock and adrenaline drained from the blonde and cat, they were faced with a realization of dread. Even with Erza heading towards a healer, there was no guarantee Natsu would make it, nor was there assurance any vehicles they chanced across would be able to stand his heat. To top it off, the tracks the trio had created upon entering the forest were disappearing, and Gray was unconscious, injured, and most likely dehydrated. As Happy and Lucy watched Erza retreat, they could only long for fate to shine upon them…

…And for a Fairy's grace to hold strong.

* * *

><p>AN: I so wanted to put in something about a healing fairy, or Great Fairy, or some other Legend of Zelda reference there. But I didn't. Were it a crossover…

Anyways.

Once again, sorry for taking so long to update. The worst part is this chapter has only been missing a few hundred words for at least the past two months, but my muse decided to take leave without notice. Because she's - he's? it's? I have no clue - just wonderful like that. Also, I know Happy seems a bit OoC at the end, I couldn't figure out how to describe him knowing that there was a high chance for further injury without that. And personally, I doubt Lucy would realize that. I dislike her with a passion, though, so it could just be spite.

Thank you for all of the reviews, they are much appreciated. They also help me to coax my muse back.

Since anonymous reviews don't have reply links, I will do so here. Thank you to everyone ^.^

Yees: I'm glad you like it. Here's an update too, and I hope to post a lot faster in the future.

Until next time (which hopefully means before September -.-;),

Master of the Hellish Yard


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